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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Thursday, February 13, 2014
British Tycoon's Chess Sets with Huddersfield Chess Club to be Auctioned
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
The Examiner has reported that a historic collection of valuable chess sets belonging to one of the country’s "most flamboyant and controversial tycoons" is set to be auction. Lord Kagan, a Lithuanian Jew and textile magnate, was like many East Europeans, a seriously keen chess player.
His collection began decades ago, thanks to his friends, who, when they ventured abroad, would invariably bring him back a present.
After Kagan’s death in 1988 the sets mouldered in storage before his widow Lady Kagan, who lived in Bradley, decided in 2008 to donate them to Huddersfield Chess Club. At the time she said: “I thought Joseph would have wanted them to be appreciated.”
The collection includes Russian sets, Indian, Spanish and military ones, a fabulously ornate Alice In Wonderland affair, as well as a gloriously non-PC monkey one. Read further at the Examiner.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We found this little chess advert tucked away in cyberspace and just thought if any of you could play Good Samaritan this week. If you are in the area of the John Carroll University, go on help out with some chess boards!
The notice states: CSSA is looking for gently used chess sets in order to start a chess club at Saint Thomas Aquinas School. JCU tutors will teach elementary students the basics in how to play chess during their weekly service aftercare sessions this spring. If you have a chess set that you are no longer using and would consider donating it to this new activity, please drop it off at the CSSA office in AD-32 by Feb. 1.
Gregory Pashkov luxurious chess sets to take your breath away
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hello everyone,
Once chess enters your life, there's no getting away from it! Such is the sweetness with which chess obsesses you. A similar thing happened to Elina Klimets who has written a lovely piece on the exhibition 'The World of Chess' by Gregory Pashkov. All we can say is the chess sets are just so luxurious and will take your breath away. The themes include Russian-Turkish war, carnival, etc. This is Pashkov's his first exhibition in 20 years! Enjoy. Read the full article in www.chess-news.ru.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Here is an interesting hand-painted commemorative chess set from Germany. You can check out more at this link. Enjoy.
KING
(German General)
The German Army Forces Command in Koblenz exercises command and control over all combat units. It is commanded by a Lieutenant General. These units include two armour divisions, two mechanized infantry divisions, the Division for Specialized Operations and the Airmobile Division.
QUEEN
(Angela Dorothea Merkel)
Angela Dorothea Merkel, was born 17 July 1954 is the current Chancellor of Germany. Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany. In 2007 she became the second woman to chair the G8, after Margaret Thatcher.
BISHOP
(German Sniper)
The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar. The PSG1 is mechanically based on the G3 rifle and features a low-noise bolt closing device (similar to the forward assist on many M16 rifles)
KNIGHT
(German Heavy Gunner)
The MG 3 is a German general purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, used as a squad support weapon and vehicle-mounted machine gun. The MG 3 has a quick-change, chrome-lined barrel with 4 right-hand grooves and a rifling twist rate of 1 in 305 mm (1:12 in). Alternatively MG 3 barrels can also have polygonal rifling.
ROOK
(The Brandenburg Gate)
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which formerly led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. Today, it is regarded as one of Europe’s most famous landmarks.
PAWN
(German Assault Soldier)
The German soldier carrying a G36. The G36 is gas-operated that uses burnt power gases from the barrel and feeds from a 30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine; it is a selective fire 5.56mm assault rifle, firing from a closed rotary bolt.
Antique Napoleon chess set at St Petersburg Museum
Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010
Chess pieces depicting Napoleon Bonaparte and two of his marshalls, Louis Nicolas Davout and Michel Ney./Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence France-Presse—Getty Images
Hello Everyone,
We found this (New York Times Chess Blog) nice news snippet about the Napoleon chess set.
The Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg, Russia, is displaying a remarkable chess set as part of an exhibition of the Jewelry House Anna Nova. Called “The Chess. 1812,” the set depicts military leaders leaders of the Russian and French armies from the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The White king is Napoleon Bonaparte. The Web site of the museum identifies the Black king as Alexander II, but that is probably a typo and should be Alexander I, the tsar at the time. Alexander II was not born until 1818. The pieces are made of white and black jade with gold and silver details and decorated with 6,700 diamonds, 9,400 rubies and 3,200 sapphires.
Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010
Hello Everyone, Here is an interesting chess set designed by American artist Barbara Kruger. It is totally hand-built and engineered in a 'marble-like' material called Corian. Each of the pieces has the ability to 'talk' interactively as players make their moves. The unique talking feature is achieved through complex electronics which incorporate three integrated computers and ninety six microprocessors.
When a piece is placed on a square a comment is heard. For example: #1 - Don't even Think About it #2 - Why Prolong The Pain #3 - You're good... #5 - Don't argue with me... #6 (heavy Breathing) #7 - C'mon...
The idea is to have a 'animated talking' chess game. Each time the comments are different. But the set costs $30,000!
Limited-edition chess by British designer Paul Smith
Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010
Paul Smith has released a limited edition handmade chess
set ($900) including board storage case and pieces box.
Hello Everyone,
We just received a newsletter about the Paul Smith limited edition chess set. The British designer is known for his clothing and accessories for men. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, after nearly three decades as a menswear icon.
It features multi-stripe leather trim around the base while the top of the board has a leather black and white check with red outline and white contrast stitching.
The top is embossed with the Paul Smith signature, and the bottom is covered in purple suede.
The chessboard can be stored in the black leather envelope case, with a padded purple interior, magnetic fastening and Paul Smith signature embossment on front
The wooden chess pieces are all handmade and lacquered in both black and purple, with felted bottoms.
The pieces are stored in a black lacquered Sycamore veneer box with purple suede lining and multi stripe leather trim on divide.
The box features polished hardware with magnified fastenings, and is finished with a purple suede bottom and the Paul Smith signature embellishment on front.
Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010
Lord David Linley (Queen Elizabeth's nephew) and artist Graham Knuths posing behind their masterpiece.
Hello Everyone,
When you love someone you want to see them all the time. Right?! So, when you love chess you want to see it all the time - in different themes, in different motifs, on the road, in the house... Oh you can never tire of chess. Never mind the cost.
So, when we found this really nice article on some jazzy and priceless chess sets, we had to share it with you.
www.chessbase.com has profiled this amazing chess set designed by the nephew of Queen Elizabeth - Lord David Linley. This chess set belongs to a limited edition of twelve. It has large carved pieces cast in 52 kilos (114 pounds) of solid silver. All the pieces are hallmarked - and the tallest pieces are 16 inches tall while the smaller ones are eight inches.
Ancient chess set found at archaeological site in China
Liu Bo players. Eastern Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century AD
Hello Everyone,
It's fascinating to know how far back chess has been known in history. Every time, fresh evidence in the form of an old chess set makes you feel thrilled.
You look at the chess set and wonder how someone would have sat at it thousands of years and possibly thought the same moves that you think now. Chess moves - a thread through Time - past and and present. Wow.
Recently, an archaeology team from the Hebei Cultural Relics Research Institute chanced upon an ancient chess set used for Liu Bo Chess (considered the original version of Chinese chess and modern chess) in an ancient tomb of the Western Han Dynasty in Pingshan County in China.
The name Liu Bo comes from Chinese (liu = six, bo = sticks). This game was played in ancient China, at least since the Zhanguo (The Warring States) era (4th c. BC) and maybe much earlier (7th c. BC) as it is evoked in Confucius' Analects (Book XVII, 22).
Minimalism is a genre of art and design - particularly in visual art and music - where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features.
We found this interesting minimalist chess set designed by Lanier Graham. All puzzles interlock to make a rectangular 'full' piece! Each piece is shaped according to its function and is sized according to its importance. The cherry and maple wood pieces with a natural oil finish appear nice. It's part of a designer MoMa production line.
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Best chess wishes to you! Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Chess Champion
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